Building Something New
by BleachBurns
Summary: Beast Boy has a secret he fears sharing with the other Titans. When it's revealed, how will his friends feel about him and what will it mean for Beast Boy? You'll never guess the pairing, but I guarantee you'll like it. Slash.
1. Truth

Hello everyone, it's your old friend BleachBurns. For those of you who were reading my other story "Holding It In", I apologize. I have momentarily lost my muse for that story. It went in an incredibly different direction than I had originally planned for it. My initial plan had been for it to be a slash story, but I was afraid of losing readers. The story below is a slash, and I am very enthusiastic about it. I do plan to return to "Holding It In" in the future, and I am truly sorry to those who have been waiting for updates. Please give this story a chance.

Enjoy-

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Dark shapes cast by an old lamp painted themselves dramatically across a far off wall as the electric hum of a small fan vibrated out and across the large, slightly messy room at the heart of Titan's Tower. The smell of dirty clothes and incense mixed with fabric softener and something strangely spicy to create a unique and interesting scent that was the signature of this particular room. All of this came together as the silent mantra of a troubled teen seeped into the old lamp, the humming fan, the walls, the chair, the bed, the desk, and the floor.

"I'm going to tell them, I'm going to tell them, I'm going to tell them." Beast Boy sat at the edge of his bed, eyes closed and fists balled so tight the knuckles were discoloring. His insides were shredding, his stomach was cold and empty. He felt sick, he felt helpless, he felt like jumping up and screaming, hitting and kicking anyone or anything that would dare cross his path. It took all his strength and willpower, everything he had in him, and the thought that soon everything would be okay, to stay seated and continue his chant. "I'm going to tell them, I'm going to tell them, I can do this, they won't care, they'll be happy for me, I'm going to tell them, I'm going to…"

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"Yo, Raven, have you seen BB?" Cyborg angrily pushed the controller to the gamestation aside and folded his arms across his chest. Displayed on the television in front of him was the list of high scores for Mega Monkey Racing 7. At the top of the list someone had entered "CySucksAss." There was only one person who could possible have entered that for their high score, and Cyborg was looking to get even.

Raven finished the line in the book she was reading before looking over to where her teammate was sitting, sending waves of hate to the t.v. "Beast Boy?" She thought for a moment, looking up at the ceiling. "Actually, I don't think I've seen him all day." That was strange. Usually the green Titan was out flitting around somewhere. "In fact," she said, "I haven't seen him much at all this past week."

"Well when _I_ see him," Cyborg said in a sort of slow, evil way, "_you_ may never see him again." He snatched the controller up from where it had dropped on the floor and set to work at breaking the high score. Every so often he would mutter things under his breath that sounded to Raven like graphic and brutal threats. Creepy.

A while passed before the doors to the common room slid open smoothly and Beast Boy stepped in, his face one of complete concentration. He was out of uniform for the moment, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. His hair was a mess, falling down around his face, and he made it worse by pushing an anxious hand back through it. He looked around the room for a minute, eyes passing over Cyborg and landing on Raven.

"Hey, Raven," he said, moving slowly, almost timidly toward her. Raven looked up, an eyebrow perked.

"So you finally emerge," she said, softly, noting his slightly disheveled appearance, "I was beginning to think you were going to stay in your room forever."

"Uh, yeah," he said absentmindedly, ignoring what she had said. "Do you know where Starfire and Robin are? I have something to tell all of you, and I think it would be better if I told you all at once." Beast Boy looked like he wasn't sure if he should puke, cry, or scream. His whole body radiated discomfort, and his breathing had suddenly become heavy. Raven pushed her book aside and stood, walking towards her friend.

"Beast Boy, are you alright?" She asked, bringing her hand up and placing it on his forehead, feeling for a temperature. It was a very motherly thing to do, and Raven would make sure to kill him if he ever told anyone she had done it, but right now she was worried and this was something she felt she needed to do.

"I'm fine, Rae," he said, pushing her hand gently off his forehead. "I just have something I really need to do right now, and I feel sort of conflicted about it." Beast Boy's head was tilted to the side and he was looking at something over Raven's shoulder. She looked back but saw nothing. He seemed to be trying not to look her in the face.

"This sounds serious," Raven said, trying to get it out of him without pushing too much. He nodded slowly.

"It is." Beast Boy looked about ready to say something else, but then stopped. His eyes went wide and Raven felt something push by her. "Oh, G-" was all Beast Boy was able to get out before Cyborg tackled him to the floor. Raven closed her eyes tightly until long after she heard the crash.

"Ow." It sounded weak and far off, and for a moment Beast Boy didn't realize it was he who had spoken the word. He let his eyes open one at a time, scared to see what damage had been inflicted to his body.

Cyborg hovered over Beast Boy, smiling evilly. He felt that the little green pest had gotten what he had deserved. He had held back most of his wrath though, and had really only body checked him onto the ground, and then landed on his hands and knees, careful not to land anywhere on the tinier Titan's body.

"What the hell was that for!" Beast Boy looked up at the metal Titan angrily before rolling out from under him. He stood slowly and a little unsteadily. The blow had knocked the wind out of him and caused him to become slightly disoriented. "I think you broke my ass, Cyborg!" He rubbed at the previously mentioned body part, trying to make the pain go away.

"I got the high score! I got the high score!" Cyborg pushed himself up off the ground and ran in circles around Beast Boy and Raven, his arms flailing at his sides. Beast Boy smirked, remembering what he had entered as his own high score earlier in the week. Still, was that really any reason to tackle someone? Especially if you're half metal and the person you're tackling is much smaller than you?

"Fantastic," Beast Boy said, flatly, "what did you enter for your name?" He crossed his arms across his chest, waiting to hear what insult Cyborg would fire back at him via a video game.

"I haven't decided yet!" He proclaimed, wringing his hands together, "but I'm going to come up with something good." Cyborg turned to leave and finish plotting his revenge, but Beast Boy stopped him.

"Hey, Cy," he said, reaching out and placing his hand up on his teammate's shoulder, at about the same height as his own head, "could you hold on one second, there's something I want to tell you and Rae and Starfire and Robin." Cyborg turned back around, a questioning but friendly look on his face.

"I suppose," He said, "what is it?" Beast Boy shook his head quickly.

"I have to tell you all at once," he told him, walking toward the couch. Cyborg and Raven exchanged wary glances and then followed, each sitting on either side of him. Beast Boy brought his feet up and placed the soles on the edge of the coffee table so that his knees were slightly bent.

"Is it something bad?" Cyborg asked cautiously. Acting serious like this was not something he was used to the little green guy doing, and it was sort of freaking him out.

"No…" Beast Boy said slowly, looking like he wanted to say something else, but not doing so.

"Are you sure?" Cyborg folded his hands in his lap, trying to look as non-threatening and reassuring as possible. "Whatever it is, man, we'll help you out. Isn't that right Raven?" Raven looked caught off guard. She smiled though, nodding slowly.

"Of course," she said, placing a comforting hand on Beast Boy's knee. He looked at her sideways, smiling slightly.

"Thanks," he said, directing it at both of them by looking at one and then the other. "That makes it a whole lot easier to say what I'm going to say."

"Which is…?" Cyborg said, trying to get it out of him.

"…And that is why I no longer use the shampoo made by the people of L'Oreal." Starfire's voice broke across the expanse of the Titan's common room and cut off Beast Boy's reply. The group on the couch turned and watched as Starfire made her way toward them, followed by Robin who was nodding his head quickly at everything she said.

"Hi, guys," Beast Boy said softly, suddenly feeling apprehensive now that everyone was here. A moment ago he had felt great, why couldn't he go back to that again? It wasn't fair that his emotions were playing ping pong inside his head, going from happy to sad to scared to reluctant then back to happy, on and on and on.

"Hello, Beast Boy!" Starfire said, flying quickly over to him. She leaned down and embraced the green Titan, nearly crushing his ribs. "Friend Beast Boy," she said after pulling away, "you smell funny." Beast Boy perked an eyebrow and then lifted his arm, smelling himself.

"I took a shower," he said, "I smell fine." Starfire laughed and shook her head.

"Not that kind of smell." She leaned down slowly and looked him in the eyes. "You smell of sadness and fear." Beast Boy looked away quickly and blushed.

"You can smell that?" Robin leaned over the couch and attempted to smell Beast Boy, smiling at his own actions. Beast Boy batted him away, muttering something about perverts and smelling.

"Oh yes," she said. "Just as Raven can sense such emotions, I am able to smell them."

"That's kind of strange," Cyborg said matter-of-factly. He had picked up the gamestation controller again and was thinking hard about what to enter as the high score on Mega Monkey Racing 7 to get his revenge on the Titan seated next to him.

"What is it that troubles you?" Starfire asked gently, her eyes full of worry. Beast Boy felt bad that he had put that worry there, even if it hadn't been on purpose. He also felt bad that now that everyone was here, he was going to have to say what he had been gathering the courage to say. He could probably run away, but that would never solve his problems, and the other Titans wouldn't let him get away with that.

"Well," he said, scratching nervously at a spot on the inside of his arm, "I'm sort of scared about something I've decided to tell you guys. Hell, I'm more than scared, I'm terrified." His words were soft and he was looking down at his lap.

"What do you need to tell us?" Robin asked, looking down at him from behind the couch. He studied Beast Boy, noting his slumped posture and dropping ears. Even if Beast Boy himself hadn't said so, even if he wasn't able to sense it like Raven, or smell it like Starfire, it was easy to tell that Beast Boy was afraid.

Beast Boy took a deep breath and his eyes scanned the people around him. He looked over at Cyborg who was smiling evilly and mashing the buttons of the gamestation controller in front of him. His eyes passed by Raven, who sat placidly at his side. He glanced up at Starfire hovering over him, her forehead creased slightly. Above him his eyes found Robin, waiting patiently for what he had to say.

"For a long time I've known something about myself that I've kept hidden from everyone and denied vehemently myself," he began, his fingers twisting themselves into the hem of his shirt. Inside himself he could feel things snapping. He knew what he needed to say, and he couldn't decide if he should draw it out, waiting as long as he could before saying it, or to just throw the three words out that he was terrified of finally saying to anyone other than his own reflection. "I think I've come to accept it," he said, not sounding too sure of himself, "and as my friends I want you to know that…"

"Boo-Ya!" Cyborg exploded, cutting Beast Boy off. He jumped up and stood on the couch cushions, doing a little dance. "I finally figured out what to enter in the high score as my revenge against you, Beast Boy," he said, looking down at the Titan. They all looked up to the big screen t.v. and watched as the video game Cyborg had been playing scrolled through the high scores. When it got to the top, it stopped and flashed the number one spot.

"I need to go," Beast Boy squeaked, his voice so soft it was barely there at all. He stood slowly, arms wrapped around his stomach, head gazing down at his feet, and was quickly across the room and out the door.

"Hey, where're you going?" Cyborg asked, confused by Beast Boy's sudden exit. He turned to the others, bewildered. "What'd I do?"

"I think," Raven said, looking up at Cyborg, "you may have just figured out what Beast Boy wanted to tell us."

"What he was scared to tell us," Starfire added.

Up on the screen, in big bold letters, Cyborg's high score flashed angrily above them-

"BbIsGaY"

"BbIsGaY"

"BbIsGaY"

"BbIsGaY"

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Cyborg felt so cold on the inside he nearly shivered. For some reason his body kept screaming for him to turn around and go back the way he came. So many times his feet had taken this path, never before did he have to think about it. But now, here, every footfall was carefully calculated, thoroughly planned out to keep him from running. He slowly rounded a corner and the door that was repelling him came into view. As his hesitant feet brought him closer and closer, his mind turned back to the events that had transpired upon Beast Boy's fleeing of the common room.

"_Wait a minute," Cyborg said, waving his hands in front of him as if to halt time entirely, "are you telling me that Beast Boy is gay?" He shook his head, a laugh echoing up and out of his body. The other three Titan's exchanged a glance but said nothing. Cyborg's face went blank. "Beast Boy? No, it couldn't be," he said, defiantly, "he's one of the straightest guys I know. If you want to see gay, go talk to Aqualad."_

"_You know," Raven said, crossing her arm across her chest, "you can be gay without acting gay." Cyborg thought a moment. What Raven had said was true, there were tons of people that were gay but didn't act the stereotype. His mind latched onto the next excuse it could find._

"_What about Tara?" He asked, smugly. "He had it bad for her, don't you remember?" Robin sighed, coming around from behind the couch and sitting down._

"_That was three years ago," he said, looking down at his hands. "And you heard what he said; he has been denying this for years."_

"_But..." Cyborg looked around him. He tried to search for something to help him, some hidden answer he hadn't seen before. "He can't be."  
_

"_Why do you deny this so fiercely," Starfire asked, gently. She moved over to Cyborg and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Do you not like for Beast Boy to be, um…" she thought for a moment, searching for the correct phrase, "out of the closet?" Cyborg shook his head._

"_It's not that," he said, looking up at Star, "I'm just scared for him. If that is what he was going to tell us, and we don't know for sure that it was, a lot is going to change." Raven looked as though she were going to protest, but Cyborg cut her off. "A lot," he said, "but also very little. Things will change, but at the same time they won't. Do you know what I mean?"_

"_I think so." Robin leaned back farther into the couch, looking up at the metal Titan. "Things around here will be pretty much the same, but outside of the tower, it's a different story."_

_Cyborg took a step toward the door and then stopped. Took another and stopped. "I… I think I'm going to go talk to him," he said._

"_Are you sure?" Raven asked, moving to stand beside him. "I can do it if…"_

"_No." Cyborg put a hand up, silencing her, "I want to." He looked back up at the video game still flashing his high score, "And someone turn that off."_

"Beast Boy?" Cyborg's hand reached for the green Titan's door and knocked softly. "I want to talk to you for a second… if it's cool, I mean." For a moment nothing happened. There were no noises coming from behind the door, and Cyborg thought for a moment that maybe his knocking had gone unheard. His hand rose to try again, but before it could make contact with the smooth metal of the door, a voice called out from behind him.

"I'm not in there." Beast Boy stood behind Cyborg. He had changed his clothes and brushed his hair. His hands were wet and he was using the sides of his jeans as a towel. Cyborg opened his mouth, but the millions of things he had wanted to tell Beast Boy had abandoned him. There was a long pause, and Cyborg figured he should say something.

"Hi," he said, lamely. He made a mental note to slap himself later if this went badly. Upon seeing the gentle smile of the man standing in front of him, however, Cyborg felt a little better.

"Hi," Beast Boy said back. He felt awkward and a little embarrassed standing here in front of his best friend under the current circumstances. He could handle that, awkwardness with just a hint of embarrassment in this situation was expected. What he wasn't too proud of, and he hoped Cyborg couldn't sense, was the fact that he felt afraid. He knew he shouldn't, Cyborg would never hurt or ridicule him, but he couldn't help it.

"So…" Cyborg didn't know what to say. They'd been standing here for nearly an entire minute and only a handful of syllables had been spoken between them. He felt so relieved when Beast Boy next spoke.

"You wanna come in?" Beast Boy pointed behind Cyborg at his door. He walked forward and stood close to the metal man, waiting for him to step aside. He felt proud that he was proving to himself there was nothing to be afraid of by getting this close to Cyborg.

"Sure," Cyborg said, stepping aside. Beast Boy had made an effort to keep this from being a monosyllabic conversation, so Cyborg felt he should as well. He added, "That would be good." Pretty lame, but it was a step toward really getting this conversation started.

Beast Boy quickly tapped in the code to his door with a practiced hand. His fingers went to one then seven then eight then three and the door slid smoothly open. His bedroom was a slightly different temperature than the hallway they were standing in, and a wall of warm air pushed out from inside and smacked them in the face.

Beast Boy stepped in and crossed the room. He fell back onto his bed, his green arms falling above him. He lifted his head and gazed over at Cyborg who had yet to move much farther than a foot into his room. "You can come in farther than that, you know."

"Oh, yeah," Cyborg said. He took another step forward. Beast Boy frowned and Cyborg could tell that the single step had made him mad. His human and mechanical eye moved around the room. Everything was exactly the same as the last time that he had been here, but it felt entirely different. His mind fell to the Playboy magazines he knew Beast Boy had under his bed and suddenly Cyborg felt completely betrayed. Those magazines were a lie, and he couldn't help but wonder what other things he had been lied to about. He took a deep breath, calming himself; it would do no good to start things off with an argument.

"I didn't mean take another step forward," Beast Boy said, an edge of anger in his voice. It cut right to Cyborg's heart. "I meant," he continued, "to sit down, hang out, chill, relax, all the things we used to do." Beast Boy sat up and placed his elbows on his legs and his face in his hands. "This is exactly why I was so afraid to say… it." His voice sounded muffled and far away as he tried to speak through his hands. "Everything is different now."

"So it's true then?" Cyborg asked. All of a sudden he felt a pressure go out of him, something that was holding him back. Seeing his friend so sad and scared moved him across the room and enabled him to ask the question he had been trying to ask.

Beast Boy shifted his hands so that his eyes were visible between his fingers. He held Cyborg's gaze for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes," he said. "It's true." Beast Boy felt something snap in the back of his head and he realized he'd finally said it aloud to someone other than himself. Well, sort of. He hadn't used the word, so he reiterated his outing. "I'm gay." He felt the bed sag beside him and he realized that Cyborg had sat down next to him.

"Beast Boy," Cyborg said, putting his arm around the littler guy's shoulder, "you will always be my best friend no matter what, and I want you to know that nothing is going to change because of this." The metal man smiled broadly down at his best friend. He mad meant everything he had said.

"Do you promise?" Beast Boy said, smiling coyly up at Cyborg. There was nothing more he wanted in the world for what Cyborg had said to be true. They would always be best friends, Beast boy believed that, but he didn't believe that things weren't going to change. There was a long pause between them that went on for some time. Beast Boy was ecstatic that Cyborg did not drop his arm from around his shoulder. One of the things he had feared upon coming out was that Cyborg and Robin would no longer share any friendly physical contact.

"I'm really sorry," Cyborg said suddenly. Beast Boy was caught off guard; he had no idea what the person sitting next to him was apologizing about.

"About?" He asked. Cyborg looked down at him like he was dumb.

"For entering 'BbIsGay' as my high score." He removed his arm from around Beast Boy's shoulder and brought his hands up to his head. "It was so stupid," he said, angrily.

"No," Beast Boy said, shaking his head. "You were just trying to get me back for entering 'CySucksAss' as mine." Beast Boy smiled. "I guess yours wasn't so much insulting as it was factual." Cyborg looked over at Beast Boy, confusion evident on his face.

"You seemed so mad," he said, still not quite getting it. "Or at least sad."

"I guess I kind of was," the green guy said, standing up and crossing the room, walking around in a haphazard path, trying to find the right words. "At first," he said, "but not anymore. I was just mad because, well, seeing those words flashing up on a big screen like some sort of crazy billboard sort of took away from me what I've been trying to get the courage to do for a very long time. I've been staring in that mirror," Beast Boy said, pointing to a looking glass across the room, "saying: I'm gay, I'm gay, I'm gay, every day for a month and you outed me to all our friends in as long as it took them to read your high score."

"I still don't get it," Cyborg said. He had taken away from Beast Boy something that he'd been ready to do, and he expected the changeling to yell at him, or be pissed off, or do something instead of sitting here conversing with him calmly.

"The thing is," Beast Boy said, matter-of-factly, "I don't think I could have actually said it." He pulled a chair out from under his desk and sat in it, slouching over so that his forearms were resting just above his knees. "Right before you jumped up on the couch and said you'd figured out what to input for you high score, the words 'I'm gay' would not come out of my mouth. I tried to say them, but they stuck to my tongue."

Beast Boy sat up straight and fiddled with something on the desk beside him, moving some papers back and forth and placing a pair of scissors in a drawer. "I… I really have to thank you, Cy," he said, still pushing things around, "if you hadn't done that, I might still be in the closet, and I don't think I could have gone on another day holding that in."

Cyborg still didn't feel too good about what he had done. Beast Boy had thanked him, but he still felt his stomach drop every time his mind turned back to those bold, flashing letters. He looked over at his friend, and he was surprised to see that his eyes were shining with moisture in the dim lights.

"You don't know what it's like," Beast Boy said, his voice full or sorrow, "keeping something like that inside you. Going on dates your friends set you up on and having to come home to tell them that 'it just didn't' click'. Having to feign interest in the pictures of girls in magazines or naked women in a movie. Knowing that as long as you keep this inside you're going to have to be alone." Beast Boy stopped and took a deep breath, holding it in and rubbing his hands over his eyes.

"You don't have to be alone anymore, man," Cyborg told him. What his friend just told him made complete sense. He thought back to all the times he and Robin had talked about girls in front of Beast Boy and how it must have made him feel to have to pretend he was interested, scared of the feelings he had inside of him.

"I don't know if that's true, Cy," Beast Boy said, his eyes had dried but his voice still held an edge of sadness. "I am beyond happy that it's no longer a secret," he said, "but I don't think there's going to be much going on for me romantically any time soon." His head fell and he stared down at his fingers, twisting them together in an almost angry manner.

His words sounded so final, so… ending. Did Beast Boy believe he would be alone forever? No, his words had not been "I don't think there's going to be much going on for me romantically ever," he had said, "any time soon." But why had he said it at all? Cyborg watched Beast Boy raise his head and meet his eyes. Maybe he was scared about the whole dating thing. For Beast Boy, getting a guy would be a piece of cake. He was good looking, funny, had a great personality, and was perhaps one of the most unique guys around. Cyborg wondered if it was the emotional side of it. If he were to get a boyfriend, it would be his first ever, an entirely new experience for him.

"Why is that?" Cyborg asked, referring to what he had said. "Is it the butt sex?" He was trying to be funny, but maybe it was true.

"Shut up, man" Beast Boy said, a hint of humor in his voice. His face quickly blushed red.

Cyborg had to wonder, maybe it was the sex. Again, it would be Beast Boy's first boyfriend ever. It may not have just been the intimacy of it though; his green skin had always been a sore subject for the changeling. All of it kept piling on, one thing after another. Any of it could have been the reason Beast Boy had said what he had. Cyborg had to know something.

"Beast Boy?" he said, standing up and moving across the room to stand beside him. "Can I ask you something?" Beast Boy looked up at Cyborg. He opened his mouth for a moment and then closed it. He could tell by the way Cyborg had said it that what he was going to ask was probably something personal.

"Sure," he said finally, but he sounded somewhat hesitant.

"Are you a virgin?"

Beast Boy nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"So is that it? Is it the sex?" Cyborg's voice held no humor this time, he was serious.

"I guess that's part of it," Beast Boy said, refusing to look Cyborg in the eye. "I've never been good with being intimate with anyone, and that's about as intimate as you can get." Cyborg looked ready to say something else, but Beast Boy cut him off. "That's only part of it though," he said, this time looking right in his fellow Titan's face. "There's a lot more to it, some of it _I'm_ not even too sure about."

So there was more to it. Cyborg wanted to know more, he wanted to help his friend, but he knew as much about this as Beast Boy seemed to. "You want to talk more about it?" Cyborg asked. Beast Boy shook his head.

"I don't think so, Cy," he said. "I don't know if I could even if I tried, it's just too painful." He stood slowly and, very hesitantly, wrapped his arms around his friend. The metal of Cyborg's chest never ceased to amaze him. It was never cold like metal should be. It felt warm like skin and seemed to emit an electric hum, which Beast Boy always attributed to his best friend's life force, or something mystical like that. "Thanks for coming to talk to me," he said, releasing Cyborg and walking smoothly toward his bed. He fell forward onto it and pushed his arms under his pillow.

"Anytime, buddy," he said. He figured that laying down on his bed with his face looking at the wall was Beast Boy's subtle way of telling Cyborg that he was done talking for the day. He headed for the door, but stopped short of leaving.

"Beast Boy," he said, "please don't ever stop talking to me. Will promise me that you'll always keep talking?" Beast Boy made no indication that he had heard his friend at all. "Do you promise?" he said, an edge of anger to his voice. It took his cybernetic eye, but Cyborg saw it, the slightest nod from Beast Boy's head. A small smile tugged at his dark lips, and he left Beast Boy's room feeling much better than when he had entered, but with a whole new bunch of questions he needed answered.

Beast Boy rolled over on his back, his eyes following the small cracks and markings on the ceiling. "I'll try, Cyborg," he said, softly. "I really will."


	2. How to Date a Beast Boy

It's been a very, very, very, very long time, but here is chapter 2. You'll learn the pairing in this chapter and I am almost 100 percent sure it hasn't been done outside of a PWP story, but I think it's a great one.

Enjoy-

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"Do you feel any different?" Raven took a sip of her still steaming herbal tea and waited patiently for Beast Boy's reply. She watched him tilt his head back and look up at the great expanse of ceiling above them.

"It feels like a pressure has gone out of me." He shifted his position slightly and then brought one of his hands to his stomach. "Right here," he said, pointing toward his belly button. "It doesn't feel so… I don't know. I just feel better."

Beast Boy had decided, after much internal struggle, that it would be better if he went to speak with the other Titans instead of hiding away in his room. The reason he had come out was to get everything in the open, not to hide it away. It wasn't fair that Cyborg was the only one he had truly come out to. And so, after several minutes of gathering up the courage, Beast Boy had followed Cyborg's path back to the common room. He had arrived just in time to find his metal friend describing the conversation he had had with Beast Boy only moments ago.

They all sat around him now, soothing his uneasy nerves with gently spoken words. All of them seemed to be brimming with questions, especially Starfire, who seemed even more excited about Beast Boy being gay than he was. He felt slightly uncomfortable under the scrutiny, but he fielded their questions nonetheless.

"GLORIOUS!" Starfire had been shaking for several minutes, her eyes so wide it was a wonder they did not pop out of her head, and no one was surprised when she finally burst. "We will have such a wonderful time shopping at the mall for clothes and makeup, Beast Boy! And of course we will be doing the dishing about who has gotten fat!"

"Um, Star," Beast Boy said, his hands fidgeting in his lap, a little smile on his face, "I didn't enjoy doing those things before I came out, and now that I have, going to the mall and 'dishing' are pretty much the last things I feel like doing." Starfire's face fell and Beast Boy suddenly felt a little bad about what he had told her.

"But the men on the 'Queer Eye' show love to talk about who has gotten fat," she said, rather sheepishly. Beast Boy and the others shared a laugh and Starfire blushed.

"Yeah," Beast Boy said, "I guess some gay guys are like that, but definitely not all." He looked up at the still blushing Tamaranean girl and gave her a big toothy grin. "I'm just me."

"I see," Starfire said, nodding slowly. "You will be the same Beast Boy, but now instead of being a lady's man, as you have said on many occasions, you are now a man's man. Is this correct?" Beast Boy's smile faltered slightly and his cheeks blushed red. Cyborg, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself greatly, laughing so hard he was rolling on the ground.

"I guess," Beast Boy said softly, shrugging.

"Yes," Starfire continued, "Robin has told me all about your newly found insatiable lust for men."

"Excuse me?" Beast Boy shot a glare Robin's way. "What's this about an insatiable lust for men?" Robin hid behind Starfire's chair and smiled nervously.

"Uh, just a joke," he said, laughing nervously. "Sorry." Beast Boy frowned for a moment and then let his face relax.

"It's okay, Robin," Beast Boy said, smirking. "I expect the jokes. In fact, I look forward to them."

"You want us to make fun of you?" Cyborg asked, finding himself confused yet again by Beast Boy's behavior.

"Well yeah," he said, "like I said before, I don't want anything to change. You guys make fun of me all the time, and I make fun of you. It's what we do." He smiled. "I like it, and we're all just joking, it's all in good fun." He shrugged. "Just make sure it doesn't get malicious."

There was a comfortable pause in which no one spoke. Soft smiles sat placidly on their faces. Starfire's eyes, half-lidded and heavy, stared out the large windows pointed out at the bay. She fidgeted slightly, perhaps still entertaining thoughts of an effeminate, flaming Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy," Robin said, breaking the gentle silence. The green Titan looked over to the masked hero next to him. "You have done a lot of truly wonderful and praiseworthy things in the years I have known you." He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "But right now I am more proud of you than I have ever been before."

Beast Boy couldn't look Robin in the eye. He was blushing, and he felt… wonderful. "Thank you, Robin," he muttered, "that means a lot." He paused a moment then said, "I think it has gotten just a little too sappy in here for my liking."

"Group hug!" Starfire exclaimed suddenly.

"C'mere ya'll!" Cyborg said, moving to wrap his arms around the bundle that Robin and Starfire had created around the changeling.

Beast Boy smiled out from his spot in the center, a slight pain winding its way through his ribs due to the incredible pressure pushing in around him. The strength of his friend's love was overwhelming it seemed. In his peripheral vision he could see Robin discretely sniffing Starfire's hair. Just pass that he spotted Raven reluctantly joining the group, pulled in by a metal, orange, and gloved hand. Beast Boy caught Raven's eye and he could see something glittering there, something… scheming.

"Guys," he said, "this is really touching and all, but it's getting hard to breathe, and I think one of you needs a shower. Probably Cyborg."

They split apart and went their separate ways. His outing, although still a topic of interest, was now old news. Beast Boy pushed himself back into the comfort of the couch. He stretched his arms and legs out with a gentle groan. His eyes slid shut and in that moment he felt his head and body floating on a wave of comfort and bliss.

"I think that it's time for a nap," he said, moving to stand. As he stood and opened his eyes, a shape in front of him caused the green titan to jump in surprise and fall back into the couch. "Raven!" He said, "don't sneak up on me like that!" Raven took a step back and Beast Boy pushed himself up off the couch once more. The two stood face to face. Beast Boy felt nervous in the sudden blanket of stillness around them. Raven was the first to speak.

"Um, Beast Boy?" she said, softly, not too sure how to address the subject she had on her mind. She decided to just jump right into it. "When Cyborg returned from your room, he told us about the conversation you had."

"Uh…" Beast Boy was momentarily at a loss for words. His thoughts turned back to what the two had talked about. The sex thing crossed his mind and he felt a knot starting to form in his chest. That was really something he did not want Raven to know about. "Yeah," he said, "I figured he would probably tell you guys some of what we had talked about." He paused. "I hope he left some of the more embarrassing details out."

"I don't think so," Raven said, smiling a crooked smile, "he described quite a few… colorful moments."

"Great," Beast Boy sighed, "now I'm even more embarrassed than I was before."

"Don't worry about it." Raven sat on the couch and patted the seat next to her, inviting Beast Boy to join her. "That's not even close to the most embarrassing secret I know about you." Beast Boy tilted his head and quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asked, not sure what Raven was getting at. He had never divulged anything to Raven, or anyone else for that matter, that might embarrass him. Raven took a breath and then let it out in a sigh.

"I expect you to keep this a secret, Beast Boy," she said, looking very, very serious. "I'll consider it payback for keeping your secrets for so long." Beast Boy felt the intensity in her words and nodded his agreement quickly, not even having to think about it. Raven sat quietly a moment, thinking over how best to say what she needed to say. Finally she spoke.

"The things you and the others know about me are limited at best." Raven spoke slowly and carefully. "You do not know the full extent of my powers." She said this in a way that let Beast Boy know he wasn't being insulted or cut down. It was simply a fact that he had no way of knowing something she had not revealed. "There are certain powers within my grasp that I hesitate to share with others because of how it might make them feel." Raven glanced up at Beast Boy and found his eyes unfocused and far away. "Are you following?" She asked. Beast Boy blinked and then nodded.

"Yes," he said. "But I'm a little confused." He tilted his head and looked up at Raven, his brow furrowed in thought. "I don't understand what it is you could possibly do that might anger one of us."

"And that's where we're headed, Beast Boy," Raven said, continuing her explanation. "You all know that I can sense your emotions, but how would you feel if I told you that my powers can go way beyond sensing how you feel?"

"What? Do you mean you can read our thoughts?" Beast Boy asked, hoping to God that that was not within Raven's grasp.

"Not quite," Raven said. Beast Boy visibly relaxed. "But sort of." Her uneasiness now was practically tangible. "As you know, it takes a lot of my energy just to keep my powers in check, that's why I meditate so often. When I go to sleep my mind finds it much harder to keep things balanced and sometimes I'll wake up to find everything in my room has moved or something has been destroyed. But sometimes my powers reach out and touch the minds of others, and their dreams become mine."

"So you're able to see other people's dreams?" Beast Boy asked. That really didn't seem so bad. Most of his dreams didn't make much sense to him, what could they possibly mean to someone else?

"Yes," Raven told him, "but it seems that if someone weren't necessarily dreaming, but experiencing a rather strong… fantasy, that my mind is able to pick up on that as well." Raven studied Beast Boy's face. She couldn't tell if he had not grasped what she was trying to tell him or if he was in shock. Raven was going to try and explain further but Beast Boy spoke first.

"You mean that when I'm in my room and…" He very quickly glanced down at his hand and then at his crotch. "…you know what I'm… _fantasizing_ about?"

Raven had, on more than one occasion, woken with a flushed face, images of Beast Boy's steamy fantasies fresh in her mind. "Not just you," she said quickly, "everyone in the tower. And sometimes people in the city too."

Beast Boy could not bring himself to look Raven in the eye. His face felt hot and he knew he was blushing. Jesus, she had seen it all. She knew about every person he had though about while masturbating and what he had them do while in the world of his mind. "Ugh, I don't feel too good," he said, holding his stomach. Raven smiled.

"Wait a minute," Beast Boy said after a moment, "if you knew who I was thinking about while I was… doing _that_, then you must have noticed that all of the people came equipped with dicks. How come you didn't say anything?"

"It wasn't my place," Raven said, folding her hands in her lap, "I knew you would say something when you were ready, and look, you did."

"I did," Beast Boy repeated, nodding slowly. He was grateful that Raven hadn't said anything to anyone about his sexuality. He was also grateful that he had the kind of friends that could learn something like that about you and still love you no less than before. "Hey, Raven?" Beast Boy said, slyly.

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering, out of everyone in the tower, who masturbates the most?" A wide grin was pasted across his face.

"I'm not telling," Raven said, crossing her arms. "I can't abuse the trust of the others."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Beast Boy said, waving his hand in the air, "with great power comes great responsibility and all that stuff, I know, I know." He scooted a little closer to her and lowered his voice slightly, as if there was someone around to hear. "Just tell me this, do I do it the most?"

Raven though about it for a moment. She wasn't sure if she should tell him or not, but it probably wouldn't hurt to let this little bit of information slide. "No," she said.

"Oh thank God," Beast Boy said. Jacking off didn't bother Beast Boy, hell, he loved it. Even having his friend know he did it barely mattered to him. Having his friend know he did it the most though, something about that didn't sit well with him. "One more thing," he said, "is it a guy?"

"Duh," Raven said, "that's obvious." Beast Boy sat quietly for a moment and Raven figured he was finished with the questions. She started to get up but Beast Boy stopped her.

"It's Robin, isn't it?" He asked. Raven opened her mouth to tell him that she wasn't going to reveal anything else, but he was already on his feet and running for the door. "I knew it!" He shouted, "He's wound so tight all day, I figured he worked it out with a little pocket pool!"

Raven watched him go. Beast boy was right, it was Robin. Thinking back, she probably shouldn't have told him anything beyond the fact that he wasn't doing it the most, but he probably would have figured it was Robin anyway, it sounded like he'd thought about it before. And Raven knew that if his fantasies were anything to go by, he had.

----------------

"I now call this meeting of Plan: Getting BB Laid to order," Cyborg said, smacking his hand on the table in front of him.

"Shut up, Cy." Robin gave him a glare, and the biggest of the Titans merely laughed. Raven had called a meeting not too long after her chat with Beast Boy. She persuaded Robin to send the green Titan to do the shopping for the week and get him to leave the Tower. As soon as he was gone the four remaining Titans gathered together in the seldom used conference room that had been in the Tower for as long as anyone could remember and out of use for just as long.

"I do not like the name of the plan," Starfire said before Raven even got a chance to speak. "Beast Boy lies around all the time. I think it should instead be called Plan: Get Beast Boy a Boyfriend Because Friend Raven Believes That Will Make Him Not So Annoying Because Then He Will Have Someone To Be With And Make Him Happy. The other Titan's looked at Starfire strangely for a moment before Cyborg voiced his opinion.

"No, Star," he said, "that's stupid, it's called Plan: Getting BB Laid. It's short and to the point."

"You're stupid!" Starfire shouted, jumping to her feet.

"I know you didn't just yell at me!" Cyborg shouted back, also rising.

"Enough!" Raven stood and slammed her fists on the table. "You're both being foolish. And we don't need a plan name; we're doing something nice for a friend not breaking into a bank." Starfire and Cyborg took their seats quickly and Raven continued. "I know Beast Boy told you that he didn't want a boyfriend yet, Cyborg, but I don't really think that's true. I think he's just afraid that he's not good enough to get one."

"Self-esteem has never really been a strong point of his," Robin said, tapping his fingers haphazardly on the table. "The only problem is that Titans aren't allowed to date civilians. If we're going to set Beast Boy up with anyone, we need to find someone that's a Titan or in The Justice League or some other superhero group."

"I don't know anyone," Raven said.

"Nor I," Starfire voiced.

"You guys are serious?" Cyborg said, looking around the table. "No one in particular comes to mind?" He looked at each of their faces and was almost sorry that they couldn't see the obvious. "AQUALAD!" He shouted.

"Aqualad is not gay," Starfire said. "Trust me." Robin looked over at her quickly.

"What does that mean?" He asked, anger in his voice.

"Oh, nothing," she said, standing. "So it is settled then. We will each see if we can find anyone and then set them up with Beast Boy." She was out the door before Robin could ask any more questions, but he was quick to go after her.

"I think I'll give Bee a call," Raven said, also exiting the room.

Cyborg was left by himself in complete disbelief. "Aqualad," he said, "I just know it."

-------------------

"I can't believe this. It's so… unexpected." Bee's face was one of complete surprise.

"Believe it," Raven told her. "He just came out to us a few hours ago."

Raven had set up the meeting with the other Titan's because she refused to let Beast Boy be alone, she knew all too well what that was like. She also thought the whole "intimacy issue" thing was total crap. She figured Beast Boy was just afraid. She now sat in front of the Titan's super computer conversing with Bumblebee.

"Well I'm glad you called," she said, a scheming grin upon her face, "I'm always looking for new gossip."

"Actually," Raven said, nervously tapping the counter in front of her and glancing over her shoulder, "now that I've told you that, you have to promise not to spread it around, okay?" Bee's eyes went wide and she seemed not to be able to comprehend what Raven was saying.

"Girlfriend," she said, shaking her head, "there's nothing you can tell me that I won't repeat." She thought a moment, her hand scratching idly at her arm. "But you are my friend, so I guess I can try and keep it to myself. It'll be a challenge."

"Thank you," Raven said, "I think it would be better if he was the one to tell the others." She sat up straighter in her chair and got down to business. "Bee, there's actually another reason I called you." Bumblebee sat forward and waited for Raven to continue. "We need to find him a boyfriend." She sighed. "He's all moody and dark, not like himself at all, and I think he needs to get laid or something." Bee snorted.

"Um, yeah," she said, "I can see how getting the Beast Dude laid might make him a little happier."

"Exactly," Raven said, "and I called you because I know that you're the queen of gossip." Bee seemed pleased with the title Raven gave her. Raven paused a moment, letting Bee enjoy herself to try and butter her up. "So," she said, finally, "you know any guys you can hook Beast Boy up with?"

"Yes!" Bee stood up suddenly, clasping her hands together ecstatically. Her face suddenly fell and she was back in her seat. "I mean no." Her face was stone and she did not move even the slightest bit. Raven furrowed her brow.

"Do you or do you not know a gay male superhero?" Raven posed the question again, still a bit confused by Bee's first answer. The dark skinned girl's mouth opened but she did not speak right away.

"Well," Bee said, "Kind of." She looked to her left, then to her right, probably searching for any secret listeners. "I'm sworn to secrecy," she said, leaning forward in her chair.

"Come on, Bee," Raven said, "I know it's Aqualad. Everyone knows."

"Girl, Aqualad's not gay!" Bumblebee said suddenly, seeming almost offended by the statement. "Trust me."

Raven sighed. "Well, if he's not gay, who the hell is?"

"I can't tell you!" Bee exclaimed. She seemed exasperated. "I want to, Raven, I really do, but like I said, I've been sworn to secrecy." She slumped farther down in her chair and cast her eyes toward the ground.

Raven thought for a moment. How could she get this information out of Bumblebee without Bee having to break her promise? "How about you just give me a hint?" She suggested. "That way you didn't tell me outright." Bee's face brightened and her face scrunched up in concentration.

"Okay," she said after a bit, "He's in Titans East, it's a boy, obviously, it's not Aqualad, and he doesn't have a twin." Damn, Bee's clues were in depth. The Titans East leader had a smug look on her face as she folded her arms triumphantly.

Raven took in all the information as it came to her and nodded slowly. When the answer struck her after the last clue was given, her eyes widened in shock. "Speedy?" She yelled, not believing it. Bee's hand shot forward and she turned the volume down on her end of the video feed.

"Shhh!" She chastised, "He'll hear you!" Her eyes darted around her suspiciously and she got up to make sure the room's door was locked. The chances that Speedy had heard his name, and then associated it with Bee telling someone he was gay were extremely low, but Bee wanted no chances taken.

Raven was shaking with glee. This was perfect! Speedy was really good looking (at least he had been ever since he had rid himself of his bowl cut and let his hair grow out a little longer), he was nice (at least on the rare occasions Raven spoke with him), And she knew he had a sense of humor (which is a must when dating a Beast Boy). He seemed perfect. All that needed doing now was to set the two up. "Bee, I need to speak with Speedy."

Bumblebee looked worried. "I don't know," she said, "he might be really mad if he found out I told you."

"He won't find out," Raven assured her, "I'll tell him that I saw him checking out Aqualad and then I guessed or something."

"You promise?" Bee asked. Raven smiled sweetly.

"Of course."

Bee thought for a moment, her eyes passing over the switches and buttons in front of her. "I guess," she said finally, "I'll go get him." Bee stood up and exited the screen. Raven sat back and momentarily went over what she was going to tell Speedy. She was quite apt at convincing someone of something when she felt strongly about it, but she didn't just want to convince Speedy to date Beast Boy, she wanted Speedy to _want_ to date Beast boy. She did not want this to be a one time thing, she wanted them to form a relationship and…. Well, do gay relationship things.

A soft cough from in front of her brought her attention back to the monitor. Speedy sat on the other side of the screen, a confused smile set on his face. He looked tired, and he tried in vain to stifle a yawn. He must have been taking a nap when Raven summoned him.

"Um, Bee said you needed to speak with me." Speedy pushed his fingers back through his hair and his eyes glanced to his left. He was probably looking at Bumblebee somewhere off screen.

Raven decided to get to the point without beating around the bush. "Bumblebee told me you were gay."

"What!" Speedy jumped out of his chair and started yelling. "How could you do that, Karen!" Oh, man, he was using her real name, he must be angry.

"You promised!" Bee shouted, jumping onto screen. "She promised!" Bee said, looking to Speedy and then back to Raven.

"Calm down." Raven's words were steady and firm. Neither Bee nor Speedy could deny the authority they held. Speedy sat back down but he crossed his arms and refused to look up at Raven. Bee folded her hands in front of her and waited for Raven to go on.

"Speedy," Raven said, waiting for the red head to look up at her. When he did she continued. "I want you to go on a date with Beast Boy. He just came out of the closet and someone like you would be perfect for him."

"Beast Boy's gay?" Speedy asked, an interested tone in his voice. "Well, he is kind of cute now that he's not a foot shorter than me." He thought a moment. "I don't know," he said, "I haven't really dated for awhile and not many people know that I'm out." He sounded kind of scared and Raven wondered what could possibly have put that fear in his voice.

"You know," Raven said, "Beast Boy's _never_ dated a boy before, and he's only out to a few people as well. I think you two would go well together." Raven thought a moment before adding. "Besides, he's only gotten better looking since the last time you saw him."

"Really?" Speedy asked, interested again. He didn't want people to think he was shallow, but… on second thought, he didn't give a fuck about what people thought.

"Oh yeah," Raven said, nodding seriously. "He's a bit taller, still slender but with more defined muscles all up his stomach and chest and back and arms. His voice is deeper, still sort of scratchy and almost rough when he talks to you. And his hair is longer than it used to be, just over his ears. Some mornings he wakes up and just leaves it messy so it's all hanging in his eyes with just a little stubble on his chin and…" Raven stopped, she could see that Speedy was flushed. So was she. So was Bee.

"You know what," Raven said, thinking like the evil genius she was. "Words don't do him justice. You need a picture. Wait right here."

Raven quickly got up and left Speedy to think about what she had said. She hoped this might help him see things her way. She stepped into a shadow and came back out in Cyborg's room. On his desk she found his digital camera. Entering the Common Room she spotted Robin' legs sticking out from under the sink.

"Do you know where Beast Boy is?" She asked, looking around.

"I think he went to take a shower," Robin told her, "He dropped some cans of soda and they exploded all over him when he was bringing in the groceries. Hey, Raven, could you hand me the wrench on the counter? Raven?" Robin poked his head out from under the sink but Raven was nowhere to be seen.

"Should I do it?" The dark haired Titan asked herself aloud. She was standing in front of Beast Boy's bathroom door where she could hear the shower running. Was this worth it? Would Beast Boy kill her? She heard the shower stop and placed her and on the doorknob. She waited a moment more, hoping the steam would clear so as not to fog the camera lens. "This is for you, Beast Boy," she said softly, before turning the knob and pushing the door open.

"What the fuck!" Beast Boy shouted, turning toward the door and spotting Raven standing there, her eyes wide and her face red.

"This is for your own good," she said, raising something in her hands.

"Is that a camera?" Beast Boy shouted, covering his most intimate parts with a towel just as the flash went off. Beast Boy blinked against the bright light but the moment his vision cleared he saw that Raven was already gone.

-------------------------

"Here it is," Raven said, attaching the camera to the computer and uploading the picture. Speedy and Bee looked bored from waiting, but didn't think they'd look that way much longer. The picture opened in the corner of the screen and Raven saw Speedy's jaw drop. In it, Beast Boy's eyes were wide in shock, his mouth half open. His half dry hair was falling all over his head with the tips of his ears just breaking through the curtain of his locks. The muscles on his arms and legs and chest and stomach were shiny with water and a fine line of dark hair led down from his belly button to a patch of thick curls just visible above the towel he held in front of his crotch.

"You like?" Raven asked, slyly, both Speedy and Bee nodded at Raven's question, their mouths open with drool dripping out. "So you'll go out with him?" Again, both members of Titan's East nodded, but Speedy pushed Bee away.

"He's all mine," Speedy said, clicking a few buttons on the panel in front of him and attempting to download the picture.

"Sorry, Speedy," Raven said, closing the picture before it finished downloading. "If this gets out Beast Boy will kill me. If you play your cards right you might get to see him like that again."

"And we're sure he's gay?" Bee asked, pushing Speedy away from the computer just as she had done to him. "Completely? Not bisexual at all?"

Raven didn't answer, simply held up the digital camera and pressed delete.


End file.
